How To Choose Your Ideal Neighbourhood

Posted on February 10, 2017

The decision has been made: you’re set on moving to a new place and settling into your new lifestyle. Or maybe you want to take the things you love in your current area with you, such as access to that amazing cafe down the block.

There are always things to consider when moving to a new area and finding a new home. Whether you’re going into a townhome or apartment-style condominium, you still want to find a neighbourhood that will suit you and your lifestyle. Let’s examine some of the things you want to keep in mind before you make your final decision.

Which Quadrant is Right For You?

First on your list – what area of Calgary is calling your name? By doing some basic research, you can get a broad overview of the four quadrants of our fine city. From there, you can start to develop an idea of which areas are going to suit your needs overall.

How Affordable is the Community?

Now that you’ve figured out which area of our city you want to live in it’s time to give some serious consideration to what each area offers. The first thing to consider is affordability. Are you looking to invest in a townhome or apartment-style condominium? Maybe an attached bungalow is just what you've been looking for. Each of these home styles have their advantages and disadvantages as well as different costs.

Each area of a city will have different expenses attached to it depending on its location and the nature of the district. Ask yourself if a mature area is more appealing or if you’d prefer a new development. You don’t want to be house-rich and cash-poor in order to afford the upkeep on your spiffy new condo.

Consider how close your location will be to family and friends. How does this factor into affordability? If access to public transportation is important, you’ll need to take those costs into account. If you have pets, you’ll want to see how close the local parks are to your front door to make those Sunday walks a breeze.

Does the Neighbourhood Fit Your Lifestyle?

You should have narrowed down your choices at this point. Now, what about the subjective side? I'm talking about the aesthetics and the way you feel as you walk down the street.

Pay attention to the local environment. Does the taste in how the homes are finished suit your own? Will you be happy with the number of trees on your street or would you rather see more open space? If your newly-chosen community is close to the train tracks, will that bother you when you and your friends head out to grab a latte while catching up on the weeks' events?

If you're a nature lover, are there a lot of walking paths and green spaces? For the urbanite, you want to make sure you have everything you need to stay on top of the latest trends.

Picture yourself in this little area of the city. If you can see yourself integrating into it easily and it has access to the amenities you feel are most important to you, then you’re more likely to be happy with your decision.